Cheesy Jalapeño Burgers

It’s summer. It’s Ramadan. Do you blame me for craving a burger? Hopefully not, because maybe you are, too. Chances are there’s plenty of people grilling the summer away as much as possible, since that’s usually the most popular item to throw on. In my case, grilling isn’t so easy so I opt for either oven baking or pan sautéing my burgers. Either way you have them, I think you’re going to love this recipe for a super-quick burger topped with what I think is one of our nation’s best cheese..and it’s halal-certified.

Cheese from Vermont-based Cabot Creamery has long been on my list of favorite cheeses and in my shopping cart for many years, especially since I noticed that several of their products were halal-certified by IFANCA.

These are high-quality cheese products whose ingredients are carefully crafted by farmer owners of this cooperative. They’ve been doing this since 1919 and I can tell by its consistent taste that they’re dedicated to quality that’s just not found in every day products. My favorites are the cheddar cheese, particularly the Seriously Sharp (as shown in the above photo). I find them in bulk at Costco stores, but also at local retail grocers, too.

When sliced, this particular cheddar cheese looks a bit like butter, and it’s creamy like it, too. That’s why I chose it to top my burgers. The combo was amazing, particularly with the pop of spice that comes with the jalapeño in this recipe.

You only need a few ingredients and the process goes pretty quickly. Spices are minimal, but you can certainly add what you like. Just make sure there’s jalapeño. If you have kebsa spice, that’s a great alternative for the ground cumin. I actually think it’s even more flavorful since it’s a mixture of a variety of spices.

Use fresh bread crumbs, homemade if you have them on hand. To a food processor you’ll combine all the spices and ingredients above plus a little bit of garlic, fresh tomato, onion, and one egg.

Add about a pound and a half of ground beef, lamb, turkey or chicken. Very versatile. Mix until the everything is nicely combined and the meat lifts itself off the hook just a bit. That’s how I know it’s just the right texture.

Form your patties, or if you want to make kebobs instead at this point, they’re a great texture to do that. Heat a little oil in a saute pan and cook over medium flame for about 5-6 minutes on each side, covering after they’ve browned. Alternatively, if you’re going to bake or grill them, you’ll need to adjust heat temperatures and times for those.

Now comes the juicy part: Prepare your burger bun. We like mayo in this house and for this burger, I didn’t want to add mustard or tabasco or ketchup because I wanted to taste all the flavors in the burger.

Place a few small slices of cheese on top of each burger then either warm in the oven, in a pan (covered), in the microwave (not my favorite)- just melt it. Without the bun. Otherwise the bread gets soft, then hard later on when you’re ready to eat it. Not good.

Oh, did I forget to tell you that I made fries, too?

They were baked in the oven. Red potatoes, thinly sliced. Salt, pepper and olive oil drizzled on top. 350° for around 35 minutes. Use parchment paper on the baking sheet- saves a lot of clean-up time and you can recycle the paper later.

Now this is a burger and fries kind of Iftar…

So, what do you think? Are you a burger ‘n fries kinda person, at least once in a while? What’s your go-to cheese on your favorite burger?

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To a food processor add the breadcrumbs, spices, garlic, onion and tomato. Add the beef then crack the egg on top.

Mix to combine for about 30 seconds, or until the meat comes slightly off the blade. It should reach the consistency of fine ground meat.

Form patties to the desired size, making sure they are consistent in size and there are no cracks in each one.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium flame.

Place the patties in the hot oil, but do not crowd the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on one side, or until nicely browned underneath and the meat pulls off the pan easily. Flip gently then cover the pan.

Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the burgers have browned nicely on the other side and are fully cooked in the middle.

Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cover and let rest for several minutes.

Add cheese and melt on top either by placing in the microwave for one minute or a toaster oven. Prepare burger buns with desired toppings and enjoy with a side of baked fries, a salad, or even a fresh batch of guacamole.

Yvonne, your burger recipe is like my meatloaf recipe – w/ burgers I’ve always just used the meat, so this is a very new concept to me. Great way to extend the portions! Where are you finding Halal turkey? Do you have a source for Halal Turkey Bacon?

Also love your tip on using parchment paper w/ the fries. I keep that in the house, but never thought of using it for making baked french fries. I’ve got a sweet potato just waiting to be used in this way!